Naturally, as parents we want to do all we can to protect and guide our children. Isn’t it a comfort that we can entrust them to the Lord, confident that he knows and loves them even more intimately than we do?

This can be challenging to do when we do not see the outcome, but their heavenly Father wants to be their refuge, stronghold, comfort, redeemer … and so much more.

When cleaning out a shelf recently, I came upon a treasured paper that brought a flood of memories from when my sons were just one and three years old. This prized possession of mine, which I used for many years, is Bob Hostetler’s “A Parent’s Prayer Program,” printed in the February 2000 issue of Focus on the Family magazine. He writes, “Each day of the month, in addition to my prayers for their safety and for the concerns of that day, I also pray for a specific character trait, virtue or fruit of the Spirit to be planted and nurtured in my children.”

Some examples of his prayers are: “May my children always ‘be merciful, as [their] Father is merciful.’ (Luke 6:36)”

“Lord, please help my children develop servant hearts, that they may serve wholeheartedly ‘as if [they] were serving the Lord, not men.’ (Ephesians 6:7)”

“May my children be filled ‘with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.’ (1 Thessalonians 1:6)”

These gems are taken right from Scripture, praying back to God what he desires. As we pray about our children’s day-to-day matters, it is good to remember that praying for godly character growth impacts their daily life. When we talk to our heavenly Father with our children, we can help them to see matters through a biblical lens, impacting their daily decisions, prospective choices, and relationship with Jesus.

As I was rereading this prayer program for a parent, I thought about how Do LAPS! teaches children to pray scriptures for themselves and for the Bible recipient, the persecuted believer. Each prayer can be a catalyst for your children’s own prayers as they grow in the Lord and experience the transformative power of God’s Word.

As Paul encourages in 2 Thessalonians 3:3, we can be confident that the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect us from the evil one. Let’s entrust our children to the Lord’s care, no matter their age!